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South Florida Man Wins First Amendment Victory In The U.S. Supreme Court

Carl Juste
/
Miami Herald
Fane Lozeman is making history at the Supreme Court for a second time with a lawsuit arguing that his arrest after criticizing local politicians during an open-comment session of city council amounted to unconstitutional harassment.

A South Florida man just won a First Amendment victory at the Supreme Court in case that could protect disgruntled citizens from arrest for voicing their displeasure at elected officials during public meetings.

The nation's highest court ruled in favor of political gadfly Fane Lozman on Monday in a 8-1 decision, the culmination of more than a decade of work for Lozman after he was dragged out of a Riviera Beach city council meeting and arrested after speaking about the allegedly corrupt dealings of a Palm Beach County Commissioner.

The court's decision affects citizens who show up to public meetings to vent and question the actions of elected officials. If one official orders the arrest of someone speaking at a public meeting and the rest of the elected body doesn't object, the person arrested can now have a cause of action against the municipality if he or she can prove animosity.

Read more at our news partner, the Miami Herald

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